Leicestershire 340 (Taylor 98*, Ackermann 74, Dearden 69) beat Warwickshire 304 (Yates 66, Taylor 3-58) by 36 runs
All-rounder Tom Taylor made a career-best unbeaten 98, took three wickets, effected a run-out and held on to two fine catches as Leicestershire ended their Royal London Cup campaign with victory over Warwickshire.
Foxes’ skipper Colin Ackermann chose to bat after winning the toss, and although triallist George Munsey went quickly, bowled off the inside edge by Oliver Hannon-Dalby, fellow opener Harry Dearden took full advantage of a series of wide and over-pitched deliveries, hitting eleven boundaries, almost all through the off side, in going to a half-century off just 34 balls.
Warwickshire captain Jeetan Patel turned to spin to slow the scoring rate, and was rewarded when Alex Thomson deceived Mark Cosgrove with an arm-ball that hurried inside a defensive push to hit the left-hander’s leg stump.
Patel himself then produced the delivery of the day, straightening the ball past Dearden’s outside edge to remove the left-hander’s off stump, and Warwickshire continued to make inroads, first when Lewis Hill lifted a short ball from Craig Miles high into the hands of third man, and then when Ateeq Javid was run out by Miles at the non-striker’s end after being sent back by a late call from Ackermann.
Ackermann himself looked set to register what would have been his third century in the competition this season, but on 74 skied an attempt to hit Patel through the off-side, and was caught by Will Rhodes at backward point.
At 222 for 6 the Foxes’ innings was in danger of petering out, but with spinners Thomson and Patel having bowled their allotted spells, Taylor ensured the momentum did not falter, launching into the seamers and hitting eight fours in going to a half-century off 34 balls.
The 24-year-old received good support from Ben Mike and then Callum Parkinson as he passed his previous List A best of 59, and then charged towards three figures. With Taylor on 98 however, Hannon-Dalby deflected his straight drive on to the stumps at the non-striker’s end, running out Parkinson, and in the following over Mohammad Abbas could not get his bat on a full, straight delivery from George Panayi, leaving Taylor stranded.
Warwickshire’s response began promisingly, openers Ed Pollock and Dom Sibley hitting 70 off the first ten overs before Sibley, back on his stumps, was leg before to a full, in-swinging delivery from left arm seamer Klein.
Pollock hit seven fours and a six in going to his first half-century of the season in 47 balls before being bowled by left-arm spinner Parkinson, pushing forward to a nicely flighted delivery that went on to hit off stump, and Will Rhodes holed out to Taylor at long-off off the part-time off-spin of Javid.
The key dismissal, however, was that of Rob Yates, who was batting with impressive maturity and assurance on debut for Warwickshire, and had gone to 66 when he turned for a tight second run and found his path inadvertently blocked by bowler Ben Mike. Dodging around Mike cost the 19-year-old Yates a vital moment and his dive to beat Taylor’s throw was unsuccessful.
Thereafter there was a good effort from Liam Banks, and Craig Miles and Patel hit out bravely in the final overs, but scoreboard pressure told, and an excellent catch above his head on the midwicket boundary to dismiss Miles completed Taylor’s outstanding day.
Source: ESPN Crickinfo